CVE-2017-13101 in Musical.ly
Summary
by MITRE
Musical.ly Inc., musical.ly - your video social network, 6.1.6, 2017-10-03, iOS application uses a hard-coded key for encryption. Data stored using this key can be decrypted by anyone able to access this key.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13101 affects the Musical.ly iOS application version 6.1.6, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile application's data protection mechanisms. This issue stems from the application's implementation of cryptographic security measures where a hard-coded encryption key is embedded within the application binary, creating a fundamental weakness in the data protection architecture. The presence of such a hard-coded key violates established security best practices and represents a significant oversight in the application's security design.
The technical flaw manifests through the application's reliance on a static encryption key that is hardcoded directly into the iOS application code, making it accessible to anyone with sufficient technical knowledge to examine the application's binary. This approach directly contravenes industry standards such as those outlined in CWE-310, which specifically addresses cryptographic weaknesses including the use of hard-coded cryptographic keys. The vulnerability allows for potential data decryption by any attacker who can access the application's binary or memory, effectively nullifying the encryption protection intended to secure user data. This hard-coded key serves as a backdoor that undermines the entire encryption framework, as the confidentiality of stored data becomes entirely dependent on the secrecy of this single key.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential privacy violations and user data compromise across the Musical.ly platform. Attackers who obtain the hard-coded key can decrypt all data previously stored using this encryption method, potentially exposing sensitive user information including personal communications, media content, and other private data. The vulnerability's implications are particularly severe given that Musical.ly was a social media platform where users shared personal videos and content, making the exposure of encrypted data potentially devastating to user privacy and trust. This weakness creates a persistent risk that remains active as long as the application continues to use the hard-coded key, regardless of any subsequent security updates or patches that might address other vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation through the removal of the hard-coded key and implementation of proper cryptographic key management practices. Organizations should adopt secure key storage mechanisms such as hardware security modules, secure key derivation functions, or platform-specific secure enclaves that protect cryptographic keys from unauthorized access. The remediation process should include thorough code review to identify all instances of hard-coded keys and ensure proper key rotation mechanisms are implemented. Security frameworks such as those recommended by the ATT&CK matrix should be considered to address the persistence and privilege escalation aspects of this vulnerability, ensuring that any future implementations maintain proper separation of concerns and secure key management practices. Additionally, the application should implement proper key provisioning mechanisms that do not embed keys directly within the application binary, aligning with industry standards for mobile application security and cryptographic implementation.